The Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings got back into the win column Friday night and did it in dominant fashion. Led by a three-goal performance from captain Max Monette, and three shorthanded goals, the Red Wings skated to a 6-2 win over the Nipawin Hawks at Crescent Point Place.
"I think that we really just played together as a whole tonight, and it showed," Monette said after the game. "We could roll lines and tired the other team, and we just kept the pedal to the floor and kept going every single shift."
Max Monette would finish the game with his first Junior A hat trick. (Photo by Kristin Grassing)The Hawks actually took the lead with just five seconds to play in the first period when Landon Pappas snuck the puck past Dazza Mitchell, who had yet another strong game in the crease. He would end up turning aside 30 of the 32 shots he faced, with the only other blemish coming late in the second period.
Jerome Maharaj got the Red Wings on the board early in the second period. The Hawks were on the power play, and goalie Damon Cunningham came out of the crease to play the puck up the boards, and out of the zone. Maharaj got the puck on his stick, and just fired it on goal.
"I mean, it was kind of a gift really, right on my tape," Maharaj said of the goal. "I just kind of wanted to throw it at the net. The goalie was pretty slow to get back, so I just thought of throwing it - that was the best option."
Then, Monette scored his first of the game, on the power play, with 9:15 on the clock, making it 2-1 for the Wings. Elijah Anderson had the assist on the goal.
The Hawks then evened the score up when Braxton Buckberger wired a shot over the shoulder of Mitchell, making it 2-2 with 1:13 to play in the second.
After letting in a goal late in the second period, Dazza Mitchell would shut the door for the third to secure the victory. (Photo by Kristin Grassing)The third period would see the Red Wings take over, and not look back. Monette would score his second power-play goal of the game just 1:11 into the final period, assisted by Maharaj, to make it a 3-2 game.
Then, Lucas Jeffreys, playing in his first game since returning to Weyburn this week, would get in on the action. He took a feed from Maharaj and put it past Cunningham 4:35 into the frame.
"It feels amazing," Jeffreys said about scoring in his first game back. "Feels great to be back in this lovely town. I'm excited to get this year rolling."
The Wings would add to the lead with 3:40 to go when Blake Betson scored a shorthanded goal. His third of the season came when he was sprung out on a breakaway on a pass from Tyler Teasdale.
Then, Monette would cap things off, and record the hat trick, with an empty-net goal with 2:29 to play. Ruthven passed him the puck, and, while short-handed, Monette got a clear lane and fired the puck in to make it a 6-2 final.
"I can't remember," Monette laughed when asked the last time he scored a hat trick. "But it feels good to get one."
With the win, the Red Wings improve to 5-2-0-3 on the season, and move into sole possession of fourth overall in the SJHL, and increase their lead over the Melville Millionaires for first in the Viterra to three points.
The next game for the Wings will be Saturday night when they hit the road to take on the Yorkton Terriers, a team that has played the Wings tough in their previous meetings this season.
"We've been pretty tough on the road, but we're just trying to get back into our mojo here and do our thing, play our game, so that's what we're gonna do," said Maharaj.
You can catch all the action Saturday night on Great Plains Ford Red Wings Radio BIG 106, with the pregame show starting at 6:45 p.m. Nick Nielsen will have the call starting at 7:00 p.m.
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